Highway Construction: Impacts on Wildlife Bruna dos Santos Alves, Juliana Plácido Guimarães

Abstract

Roads and highways are important for the socioeconomic development of the countries, facilitating the transport of raw material, merchandise and people. However, the construction and operation of highways negatively impacts wildlife animals, causing habitat fragmentation, edge effect, geographic isolation and roadkill. Preventive actions such as previous studies, environmental impact assessment and environmental licensing aim to describe local biodiversity and analyze potential damages. Mitigation measures include construction of wildlife crossing structures, installation of fences, nets, speed reducers and informative road signs. In conservation parks, there are also educational campaigns. Previous planning and long-term monitoring are important tools for species conservation.